In 44 BC, Julius Caesar’s death plunges the Roman republic-turned-empire into chaos.  Caesar’s first general Mark Antony vies with Brutus and Cassius for power while Cicero attempts to maintain order in the senate.  A young Octavian has his own plans for a career in politics, though complicated by his mother Atia’s scheming against Caesar’s former mistress Servilia.  The fate of the city and the empire turn increasingly on the actions of two former soldiers, the stoic Lucius Vorenus and the not so stoic but eminently likeable Titus Pullo, who as always are the stars of the show.

CRITIQUE

Fans of Rome’s first season will not be disappointed, except to know that the ten episodes that comprise season two are all that remains of what has been perhaps the best television series ever.  The conclusion of the series sees more death and tragedy, and of course no longer has Ciarán Hinds as Caesar.  While somewhat less upbeat than much of the first season (more of the familiar players we know and like die this season), the show still retains its heart and soul in Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson).

The beginning of season two finds our family man Vorenus in a bad state.  Having been lured away from protecting Caesar by a rumor of his wife’s infidelity, he sees both his charge and his wife die as a result.  The brawler and convicted murderer Pullo (fans of the series will never forget the scene “THIRTEEN!” from season one), meanwhile, returns in season two after making amends for past wrongs.  From the very beginning it’s clear that Pullo will have to support his friend through a dark time, and there are few darker times than this season’s first episode.

In only ten episodes, season two of Rome covers an awful lot of ground in terms of plot and timeline.  In the wake of the struggle for Caesar’s power, we see the second Triumvirate form and disintegrate, and fans of I, Claudius and Antony and Cleopatra will find much to rave about.  The biggest change this season replaces Octavian (formerly played by Max Pirkis, who was only sixteen years old) with the older Simon Woods.  Woods does look the part that Pirkis could not have pulled off (and is of age for the graphic sex scene he has with Alice Henley as Livia), but everything from facial expressions to mannerisms and tone of voice are two dimensional.

The seemingly intended change from a boy prodigy with a penchant for learning and a hatred of sweat becomes not only a political but a personal Hannibal Lecter, staring straight ahead at all times without so much as a flinch.  It’s hard to determine whether the part was written to be so robotic after the actor change or not.  Perhaps the change was intended to signify the personal rift between Octavian and his mother Atia (Polly Walker), who personifies the scheming, backstabbing nature of Roman politics, but unfortunately it leaves Octavian less engaging to the audience.  Luckily, other major players show a marked development and further endear themselves to the fanbase, most notably Octavian’s sister Octavia (Kerry Condon) and series newcomer general Agrippa (Allen Leech).

But what would Rome be without epic battles?  We only got a taste at the beginning of season one, as Julius Caesar’s defeat of Pompey ended as merely a before and after effect.  Season two pumps things up in the episode Philippi, with an incredible battle scene between the legions of Brutus and Cassius and those of Octavian and Mark Antony.  Additionally, fans fearing that Titus Pullo may have gone soft will breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing him lead the Aventine in a gang war against ambitious rivals.  The scene is reminiscent of Gangs of New York, only more energetic and brutal.

THE VIDEO

Rome is presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen, and it looks excellent.  A little bit of grain, and a few instances of edge-enhancement are minimally problematic.

THE AUDIO

Rome is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in English or a 2.0 Spanish track.  Masters of all presentational aspects, the score is so much in harmony with the tone of the series that it never intrudes on the action, and dialog is as clear as can be.

EXTRAS

A Tale of Two Romes (20 minutes) starts with Rome’s founding in 753 BC and covers a number of points significant to the series, most notably the seven hills and class structure.

The Making of Rome, Season II (22 minutes) is a fascinating featurette that really shows the expertise that went into making the series.  Focusing especially on episodes like Son of Hades, Philippi, and the last two episodes which are primarily in Alexandria, the way that about 70 costumed legionaries were turned into about 200,000 is particularly impressive.

Two more character-directed extras begin with The Rise of Octavian, Rome’s First Emperor (20 minutes), and also cover the change in actor early in season two.  Antony and Cleopatra (14 minutes) goes into more detail about their crushing defeat at the Battle of Actium.

All Roads Lead to Rome is an option on all episodes where historically significant facts (prepared by historical consultant Jonathan Stamp) are presented as pop-ups.  This is a great feature and can even be used on a first viewing, detailing esoteric practices, rules, and even mention of gods that might go otherwise unnoticed. 

Stamp also lends a voice on two of the five audio commentaries, both of which are well worth a listen.  Two other commentaries, one with James Purefoy (Mark Antony) and the other with producer John Melfi and director Carl Franklin, are also quite good, but director John Maybury and Lindsey Duncan (Servilia) drop off after a strong beginning so much that one might forget they were supposed to be commenting on the episode.

FINAL THOUGHT

Where can I send a donation to get a third season?